Christopher Columbus Sanders (1838-1908)
}} Commanding officer of the 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment, who served almost the entire length of the Civil War and Gen Robert E Lee. After the war he had a successful career as a banker when he founded the State Street Banking Association in 1889. He was devout deacon and Sunday school instructor at the Gross Level Baptist Church in Franklin County that was founded by his great-grand-father Moses Sanders (1742-1817) in 1802. Biography Col. C.C. Sanders died at 4:45 o'clock Monday afternoon, after an illness of nearly three weeks. He was 68 years of age, having been born in Franklin, now Banks, county, 10 May 1840. Col. Sanders was reared in Banks county and secured his education at the Georgia Military Institute at Marrietta. Col. Sanders entered the Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia from the Georgia Military Institute, Marietta, Georgia, in June 1861. Early in the war he was made Colonel of the 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment. He saw hard service until captured with McLaws' Division, Ewell's Corps at Sailors Creek, three days before the surrender of the Army, by Gen. Robt.E.Lee. He was a prisoner at Washington D.C. and on Johnson's Island. Col. Sanders was liberated by the Proclamation of President Johnson in July 1865. He was offered the rank of Brig. General, which he declined. After the war Col. Sanders located in South Georgia, where he remained for a few years. He then came to Gainesville and went into the general supply business, continuing in this until 1889 when he organized the Sate Banking Company, of which he was the President up to the time of his death. This is one of the strongest financial institutions in Northeast Georgia, and it has had a remarkably successful career under his management. Col. Sanders was also interested in many other business enterprises of the town, and he had long been a potent factor in the development of Gainesville and this section. In July 1871 Col. Sanders was married to Miss Fannie Scarboro, of Smithville, Georgia, two children being the result of this union, both of whom, Mr. R.J. Sanders of Gainesville, and Mrs. Hugh Price Hinton of Atheus, Georgia, together with his wife, survive him. Only one sister, Mrs. M.E. Cobb of Dalton, Georgia is living. Col. Sanders was a consistent member of the Baptist church and for many years was a deacon. He was an enthusiastic Sunday School attendant, and until his last illness taught a large class. He was a liberal contributor to all charitable purposes and was a benefactor to many in this section. Col. Sanders never sought public office. He was a trustee of Brenau college and was for many years a member of the City Board of Education. In other ways he served his people, all of whom he loved to the best of his ability. Col. Sanders had, perhaps, favored more people in this section than any one man of his time. Hundreds are under obligations to him, and they will cherish his memory. Col. Sanders was a member of the American Bankers Association and the State Bankers Association, and he often attended the sessions of these associations, being always a prominent figure. He made three trips to the old country, visiting almost every point in the Holy Land. He was a deep student of the Bible and his trips to the Holy Land were full of great pleasure and profit to him. He distributed to his friends several thousand booklets containing an account of what he saw and heard, his descriptive letters being full of interest. Perhaps Col. Sanders took more interest in the annual Confederate reunions than any other public gathering. He often attended these reunions, many times carrying with him veterans who were unable to bear their own expenses. The funeral services were conducted from the First Baptist church at 4 O'clock yesterday afternoon, by Rev. O.J. Copeland, assisted by Revs. C.T. Brown, J.C. Boone, and J.R. King. The services were unusually impressive and the remarks of the pastor were timely and appropriate. The floral offerings were magnificient, many having been sent from friends out-of-town as well as many beautiful ones from this city. Messrs. H.B Smith, A.W. Van Hoose, John Carter, W.R. Winburn, Wm. Hosch, S.C. Dunlap, G.H. Prior, C.A. Lilly, and J.O. Adams were the pallbearers. The honorary escort was composed of a number of prominent citizens of the city. The C.C. Sanders Chapter, Children of the Confederacy, as well as a large delegation from the Longstreet Chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy, attended the funeral. The body was tenderly laid to rest in the family plot at Alta Vista cemetery, the interment being in charge of Stow, Bell and Co. undertakers. 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment Appointed Lt Col of the regiment on 30 Aug 1861. Elected Colonel 09 Jan 1864 when the former colonel resigned. Antietam Campaign: He was in command of the Brigade at Sharpsburg on the 17th in the absence of BGen Howell Cobb. He was wounded at Spottsylvania Court House, and captured at Sayler's Creek in 06 Apr 1865. He was imprisoned at Washington DC, then Johnson's Island, before being released in 24 Jul 1865 from Sandusky, Ohio. Ref: Antietam Battle Registry. Monument of Col C.C. Sanders appears in this Photograph showing the former home to the U.S. Post Office in Gainesville, GA, built prior to 1911. It is located on the southwest corner of South Green Street & East Washington Street. In the corner on South Green Street is the Confederate monument (destroyed by the 1936 tornado) dedicated to Col. C.C. Sanders. The Georgia 24th Infantry Regiment, organized during the summer of 1861, recruited its members in White, Banks, Towns, Rabun, Gwinnett, Elbert, and Hall counties. After serving in the Department of North Carolina, the unit moved to Virginia where it was brigaded under Generals H. Cobb, T.R.R. Cobb, Wofford, and DuBose. It fought in the difficult campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Gettysburg, then moved to Georgia with Longstreet. The 24th was not engaged at Chickamauga, but did see action in the Knoxville Campaign. Returned to Virginia it participated in the conflicts at The Wilderness , Spotsylvania , and Cold Harbor , was active in the Shenandoah Valley, and ended the war at Appomattox . In April, 1862, this regiment totalled 660 effectives, lost forty-three percent of the 292 engaged at Crampton's Gap, and had 4 killed, 39 wounded, and 2 missing at Sharpsburg. It sustained 36 casualties at Fredericksburg , reported 14 killed and 73 wounded at Chancellorsville , and of the 303 at Gettysburg, seventeen percent were disabled. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 4 officers and 56 men surrendered on April 9, 1865. Battle of Sharpsburg Antietam Campaign: - Here Lt Col C.C. Sanders showed exceptional gallentry commanding Cobb's Brigade in the absense of its commander. Cobb's Brigade crossed the Potomac at daybreak and halted near General Lee's Headquarters west of Sharpsburg. At about 9:20 A.M., it formed line on the south side of Bloody Lane, its left resting at this point and, with Rodes' and portions of Garland's and Colquitt's Brigades, participated in the engagement with French's Division of the Second Corps. Later in the day the Brigade changed front to the right, facing east, and supported D. H. Hill's Division and George T. Anderson's Brigade in resisting the advance of Richardson's Division. * Antietam Historical Marker #363 * Lt Col McRae's Report - Report of Lt Col McRae about Sanders in front of Cobb's Brigade at Sharpsburg. Report of Lieut. Col. William MacRae, Fifteenth North Carolina Infantry, Re; Commanding Cobb's brigade, of the Battle of Sharpsburg. SEPTEMBER 3-20, 1862.-The Maryland Campaign: O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XIX/1 27 To: SEPTEMBER 23, 1862. Brig. Gen. H. COBB, Commanding Cobb's Brigade, SIR: In compliance with your order, I herewith transmit a statement of the action of your brigade in the battle of Sharpsburg, of the 17th instant: General McLaws' division, after marching all the previous night, was ordered, about 8 a.m., to take position on the left, your brigade, numbering 357 men, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Sanders, Twenty-fourth Georgia, in front. In about half an hour we arrived in from of the enemy and in range of his musketry, when the head of the brigade was ordered to file right when the rear had filed. General McLaws commanded us to march by the left flank. Colonel Sanders, being in front, did not hear the order, but marched on and joined the left of General Rodes' command. (I will here state that we were thus separated from the division, and did not join it until the next morning.) We baited and took position behind a fence, covered from the enemy's musketry by a hill in front, but not protecting us from the heavy shelling of his several batteries planted on the side of the mountain on our right. For an hour we remained here inactive, suffering considerably, when we were ordered forward; the men, eager to meet the foe upon a more equal footing, gallantly pressed forward with a cheer, the top of the hill gained amid a galling and destructive shower of balls. There we remained, unfaltering, until Colonel Sanders, finding himself unsupported, ordered us to fall back behind the fence. The command was executed in admirable order. We remained here until the force on our right gave way. To prevent flanking, we changed front to the rear on the Fourth Battalion, and took position behind a stone fence, our extreme left remaining unchanged. We had scarcely executed the movement when General D.H. Hill rode up and ordered us forward to check the advance of the enemy. Colonel Sanders, though very unwell, had gallantly remained on the field, cheering his men by words and example until this moment, when he was too much exhausted to remain any longer. Being next in rank, the command devolved upon me. The brigade, numbering now about 250 men, moved eagerly and un-falteringly forward to within about 100 yards, then opened a destructive fire upon the enemy, largely outnumbering us. He made a short stand, and then fell back behind the hill. Three times did he try to advance, and was as often driven back by the galling fire of our gallant little band. We held them in check (momentarily expecting re.enforcements) until our ammunition was expended. Seeing no sign of support, I was constrained to give the command to fall back. We left the field with not more than 50 of the 250 men. We fell back about 300 yards and joined Colonel Cooke, of the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, remaining with his shattered regiment until he was relieved about 3 p.m. Where all so nobly did their duty I dislike to discriminate, yet I feel it my duty at least to call your attention to Major E. McMillan, Twenty-fourth Georgia; Lieut. F. L. Rogers, Company B, Fifteenth North Carolina, and Private J. R. Doster, Company B, Fifteenth North Carolina, who acted with conspicuous gallantry throughout the day. There were numbers of others who deserve the highest praises for their behavior. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. MacRAE, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Fifteenth North Carolina Troops. Relatives in the 24th Georgia It appears that Company A of the 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment was recruited from the Franklin County region at the beginning of the Civil War included more than one relative of Col C.C. Sanders, many of whom were either in-laws or cousins or in-laws to the cousins. * Aaron Jefferson Sanders (1831-1909) - Corporal Co. A - Wounded at Deep Bottom Va in 1864. * Roster of 24th Georgia Inf Regt - * History of 24th Georgia Inf Reg - Vital Records 1850 US Federal Census Jackson County (subdivision #43 Household #798), Georgia taken Oct 30, 1850 - All children listed as born in Georgia * Harry Sanders - M/58 - Born S. Carolina * Dinah Sanders - F/53 - born N. Carolina * Moses N Sanders - M/21 * ?Reen Sanders - M/19 * Muhala E Sanders - F/16 * Mary B Sanders - F/15 * Christopher C Sanders - M/12 * Andrew A Sanders - M/10 1871 Marriage Certificate Marriage on 25 July 1871 to Fannie A. Scarboro in Bibb County, Georgia. 1900 US Federal Census Gainesville City Ward #2, Hall County, Georgia. * Christopher C Sanders - M/58 - Born: Georgia - May 1842 - Ocp: Banker * Fannie Sanders - F/47 - Born: Georgia - Jun 1849 * Montine Sanders - F/26 - Born: Georgia - Sept 1874 - Ocp: Domestic of Fairs * Mary Sanders - F/70 - Born: Georgia - Jun 1830 - Ocp: Domestic of Fairs (? Is this Fannie's mother?) References * * Reverend Moses Sanders : who died 29 March 1817 by Hurst, Elden Grant, 1922-2003 - Description: Moses Sanders married Mary Hambleton. He lived in Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. They had seven children. He died in 1817 in Georgia. Includes Sanderson and related families. Family History Library, FamilySearch International; (Search by Book Title) http://www.familysearch.org/ Title Number: 2030860 * This Colonel Sanders had more on his plate than chicken - Gainesville Times Tribute to Col C.C. Sanders published in 2008. * History of the 24th Georgia - __SHOWFACTBOX__ Category:Confederate States Army officers Category:American bankers